A Fairy Tale
by mihari
Summary: Hanamichi is in the second year of high school. He takes a weekend off from Shohoku and basketball. During this time, he meets up with an unexpected friend.


A FAIRY TALE  
  
Sakuragi Hanamichi glanced around before hopping off the bus. Trees lined both sides of the road, dancing in the cool breeze. He filled his lungs with fresh air before letting out a sigh. 'It was a good idea to come here,' he reminded himself. He could surely use a break, especially when he needed to forget about a brown-haired girl. He clearly remembered the moment she had turned him down.  
  
* "Haruko-san.anou.a-aishiteru!" he spoke out. There. He had finally said it. Relief washed over him, draining the tension from his body. He relaxed his stance as he awaited her answer.  
  
"Gomen, Sakuragi-kun," Haruko said nervously. "But it's Rukawa-kun that I like." She lowered her head and ran off, leaving a shocked Hanamichi alone in the corridor. *  
  
He kicked the pebbles at his feet. 'I will forget her,' he vowed. 'I have to.' He walked towards the path leading to his aunt's cottage. Nobody was staying there at this time of year. He was certainly looking forward to a weekend of peace.  
  
  
  
The cottage was located at the edge of a small lake. It was the only one in the vicinity. Hanamichi searched for the key among the potted plants. He recalled his aunt hiding it in one of them. His eyes lit up when he found a familiar chain protruding from the soil. He pulled it out and dusted the piece of metal attached at the end. "Why does she keep the key there?" he muttered in disgust before opening the door.  
  
He slid inside and dropped his duffel bag on the floor. The interior was quite small, just about the size of a classroom, with a kitchen and a washroom. A king-size bed lay on the far side of the cabin. Four chairs surrounding a circular table served as the dining area while a big couch facing a fireplace made up the living room. The simplicity of the furniture arrangement gave the cottage the homey atmosphere which he always loved.  
  
He headed to the opposite end of the room and dropped onto the mattress, facedown. His eyelids grew heavy and it didn't take long before he drifted to sleep.  
  
  
  
* "Gomen, Sakuragi-kun," Haruko said as she fidgeted with her hair. "But it's Rukawa-kun that I like." *  
  
Hanamichi awakened from the dream, tears brimming at the corner of his eyes. He was about to wipe them away when a hand reached out and accomplished the task for him. He looked up and found a pair of emerald eyes peering into his. A scream worked its way up his throat and escaped through his lips.  
  
  
  
"I told you," Hanamichi shouted into the phone. "I saw a ghost last night!" He heard a bunch of snickers coming from the other line. "Damn you!" he continued furiously. "You don't believe me, do you?!"  
  
"Calm down," Yohei soothed. "You were probably having a nightmare because of what happened with Haruko."  
  
"Maybe you're going crazy," came Takamiya's laugh.  
  
"Shit, you're not helping at all!" he roared before putting the receiver down with a resounding crash. He squeezed out of the small booth and decided to return to the cabin.  
  
'I should have known better,' he thought, shoving both hands into his pockets. 'Calling them was useless.' He lengthened his footsteps, determined, more than ever, to find out what he really saw. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed a girl sitting by the lake with her feet immersed in the water.  
  
She gazed at him directly, the corners of her mouth tilting upward.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry if I scared you," the girl said as she approached Hanamichi.  
  
The red head watched as she glided gracefully over the grass. He became mesmerized by her golden hair and emerald eyes. "What are you?"  
  
"I'm not a ghost, if that's what you're worried about," she chuckled. She held out her hand, "I'm Hikari."  
  
He enclosed her dainty fingers in his palm. It felt warm, just like it did yesterday. "I'm Saku---"  
  
"Sakuragi Hanamichi," she smiled.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I've always been here. I saw you every time you visited with your father."  
  
He nodded in acknowledgment. 'But how did she know that I was crying last night?' he wondered.  
  
"I sensed your depression," she answered as if reading his mind. "I wanted to cheer you up, but I guess I did the opposite."  
  
"Oh no, you didn't scare me," he assured her. "I was startled, that's all."  
  
Again, she flashed him a beautiful smile. "Come with me then. I've been waiting for so long."  
  
  
  
Hanamichi didn't know what to think as he followed Hikari into the woods. He wasn't sure whether he was hallucinating or not. He felt the rays of the sun soaking his skin so he definitely knew that he wasn't asleep. 'Maybe the heat is making me see things,' he concluded.  
  
They stopped upon a clearing. He glanced up at the sky and observed that it was unusually clear. Not one cloud could be seen.  
  
Hikari looked at him in wonder. She had watched him grow from a scrawny kid into a young man. She grinned as she remembered his carefree attitude and jovial personality. But he wasn't displaying any of those qualities that drew her to him. Someone had broken his heart, and she had known it, feeling at the same moment as if it was her own heart that shattered. She wished she could wipe the sadness from his face.  
  
"What now?" Hanamichi asked, breaking the silence.  
  
She stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his back. She placed an ear over his chest and listened to his heartbeat. "Don't you find this place familiar?" she whispered.  
  
"What are you talking about?" he exclaimed as he tried to free himself from her embrace.  
  
"Of course, you don't," she said, tears now flowing incessantly down her cheeks. "But I want you to recall before I go. I want to spend my remaining time with you." She drew his head down for a kiss.  
  
As their lips touched, Hanamichi felt himself being transported back to the years that seemed so long ago.  
  
  
  
A five-year old Hanamichi ran through the woods, making sure that his father wasn't behind him. They were playing hide and seek which was his favorite pasttime. He climbed up an old tree and hid between the branches. "He won't find me here," he said confidently.  
  
"Who won't find you?" someone asked.  
  
He nearly fell off the tree in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded as he faced the owner of the voice.  
  
"Ohayo!" a girl greeted him cheerfully from below. "Who won't find you?" she repeated.  
  
"Sshhh!" he motioned.  
  
"Who won't find you?"  
  
Realizing that she wouldn't shut up until her curiosity was appeased, he swung down from a branch and said, "My Otoosan, okay? Now keep quiet!" He looked around for another hiding place. Before he had the chance to climb another tree, a hand grabbed him by the collar and raised him off the ground.  
  
"There you are!" his father boomed, releasing him then ruffling his hair.  
  
"Aww!"  
  
"Don't be a sore loser," teased his father. He took note of the girl beside his son and winked at her. "Why don't you and your friend go look for some forest fairies? They say there are plenty in these parts."  
  
"No way!" Hanamichi protested.  
  
"You could use the company of a new acquaintance. Be good, okay?" his father replied and walked away.  
  
Hanamichi's expression turned sour, though it didn't last long. The girl gave him an enchanting smile which made his heartbeat go haywire.  
  
"Follow me," she said, offering him a hand.  
  
  
  
The pair of them indulged in every game they could think of. Hanamichi couldn't believe that he was having fun with a girl. He hated females, quite natural for a boy his age. But he actually liked seeing her, holding her hand, and listening to her voice. Just the thought of her made him smile.  
  
From then on, they became friends. And from then on, he started anticipating their annual trip to the lake.  
  
  
  
It has been six years since their first meeting. To Hanamichi, it seemed only yesterday. He observed intently as she dove into the lake and swam to him. He helped her out of the water and handed her a towel.  
  
"You're leaving so soon?" she asked, disappointment evident in her tone.  
  
"We have to. Otoosan got a new job and he has to report tomorrow at work," he explained.  
  
"Oh," she muttered, eyes downcast.  
  
He held out his little finger at her. "I'll be back next year," he pledged.  
  
Her face brightened considerably as she entwined her pinky with his.  
  
Hanamichi sealed his promise by placing a kiss on her unsuspecting lips. Then, he ran off, his face the same color as his hair.  
  
  
  
When Hanamichi came to, he was lying on the bed. Dusk had already fallen. He thought he had dreamed the whole episode but a tingle on his lips told him otherwise. 'So I wasn't able to keep my promise,' he sighed. To top it off, he had also forgotten about her. Guilt was gnawing at his guts. He couldn't return because his father became busy, and then, he died. Regret filled his heart as he realized that he had missed her too.  
  
  
  
He walked around the lake and located her at the far end. "Hey," he greeted.  
  
"I waited five years for you, you know," she said without sparing him a glance.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"And you're leaving tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, but I'll keep my promise this time," he vowed, taking a seat beside her.  
  
She laid her head on his shoulder. "But I won't be here next year."  
  
Hanamichi's face fell upon hearing the news. "Why?" he asked. Why now when he had just gotten his memories back?  
  
"Because I have to go back to my master," she answered, gesturing to the heavens.  
  
"Then let me make it up to you tonight," he insisted. He knew all along that she wasn't human, knew that she eventually had to return to where she came from. "I've wasted so many---"  
  
Hikari silenced him with her finger. "Promise me.promise me that you'll always keep a space in your heart for me, a corner where I could live in," she pleaded.  
  
He placed his right hand on his chest before replying, "I already have."  
  
  
  
They spent the night doing what they used to when they were little: playing among the trees, running with the wind. But morning came too soon and sorrow swept through him when it arrived.  
  
Hikari headed to the center of the clearing before a pillar of light parted the sky and descended upon her. Then, she began to rise in the air.  
  
Hanamichi saw her mouth the words "Aishiteru." Tears threatened to spill over his eyes and a pain, more poignant than what he felt at Haruko's refusal, overwhelmed his senses. "I loved you too!" he shouted back but she had already disappeared.  
  
  
  
"Did you have fun with the ghost?" Noma jested as they welcomed Hanamichi.  
  
"What happened?" Yohei asked as his friend smiled mysteriously.  
  
Hanamichi touched the spot where his heart is. He was surprised to find it full of happiness instead of grief. "I finally found the part I lost," he declared. "Yosh! I'll work harder to get Shohoku into the Inter High this year!"  
  
The four guys could only stare at his back, baffled by the unusual change they had detected in him.  
  
THE END 


End file.
